Bottle opener



May 24, 196@ w. J. WALL, .JR 2,937,778

BOTTLE OPENER Filed March '14, 1958 F1 er. 3

INVENTOR. WAL-rsa WALLAE ATTOQLJ EWS BOTI'LE OPENER Walter J. Wall, Jr., Rte. 2, Blountville Road, Bristol, Tenn.

Filed Mar. 14, 1958, Ser. No. 721,397 s claims. (culs-46) This invention relates generally to bottle openers, and more particularly has reference to a bottle opener designed to constitute a normally collapsed or folded attachment to a conventional crown bottle-cap, and readily unfolded to a position to which itis adapted to etect removal of the cap.

Most usually a bottle cap of the type described must be removed by a bottle opener which is separate and distinct from the bottle cap. This represents an inconvenience and an annoyance, particularly in view of-the fact that it sometimes happens that the bottle opener cannot be readily located at a time when it is desired to use the same. Then again, on picnics and outings, it may be found that a bottle opener has been forgotten, making it difficult if not impossible to remove the caps of soft drin-k bottles, etc. v Y i In view of the above, it is proposed as one important object of the present invention to provide a bottle opener or cap remover which will be Ya permanent attachment to' the cap itself, -so as -to make it impossible to lose or misplace the opener and so as,l further, to alwaysthave the opener in position ready for use.

Another object is to so design the opener that Awhen not in use it will lie flat, in a fully folded condition, against the b ottle cap and will occupy a wholly inconsequential amount of space thereon.

Still another object is to provide a bottle cap opener which, though occupying a minimum amount-of lspace when not in use, will nevertheless be swiftly adjustable or unfolded in a po'sition in which it will be operatively located in respect to the cap, whereby to permit removal of the cap swiftly and easily and without necessity of additional tools.

Still another object of importance isto so connect the everal co'mponent parts of the bottle opener as to obtain maximum leverage when the cap is being removed, responsive to a relatively light pressure against the device by the nger or thumb. r

Still another object is to provide a cap opener of the type stated which will be completely, safe to use.

'A'further object is to provide a bottle openeras described which will be comparatively inexpensive. Other objects will appear fromthe following descriptio11`,jthe claims appended thereto, and from the annexed drawing, in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, andwherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the upper portion of a bottle showing a cap applied thereto in sealing position, with the bottle opener constituting the present invention being in a folded, inoperative position; I

Figure 2 is a sectional view throughthe cap, opener andbottle substantially on line 2-2-of Figurel l, the dotted lines showing the opener in operative position; 4 Figure 3 is a sectional view` on the same cutting plane as Figure A2, showing the bottle o'pener as it'appearswhen in use yduring the removal of a bottle cap;'and

' Figure 4A is an enlarged perspective viewl of the opener the leaves'28, .40 becomearigidly constituted membeigq:

detached from the cap, in a fully unfolded position.

tatcs y atent" 2,937,778 iatentea May 24, ipso formed with the body is a peripheral, depending skirt 18.

having regularly spaced corrugations which, when the cap is applied to the-bottle, are crimped inwardly at 20 td engage underbead 12' and sealably attach the cap to the bottle.

Most usually, a conventional bottle opener, not shown, has a hook portion or its equivalent engageable under the lower endV ofthe angeor skirt 18, so that the skirt Amay be priedf upwardly out of sealing engagement with the bead 12. In accordance with the present invention, however, there isprovided a bottle opener generally designated 21, which includes-anarrow, vsmall base plate or leaf 22.*extending diametrically'of the cap body 16 in a centered position thereon and fixedly secured to the cap body by spot solder 24 or by equivalent means.

At one end, the base or bottom leaf 22 is integrally fo'rmedwith an upwardly rolled sleeve 26 located medial-V ly between opposite longitudinal edges of the leaf 22. An intermediate leaf 28, of a length and width correspondl' ing to those of leaf 22, is formed at vone end with transversely spaced, coaxial hinge sleeves 30, aligned with and in' embracing relation to sleeve 26. f A hinge'pin `32y is' extended through the sleeves 26, 30 to hingedly connect leaf 28 to leaf 22 for swinging movement about an axis extendngtransversely of the leaves perpendicular to th longitudinal median lines thereof, ysaid axis being parallel to and c losely spaced from the plane of the cap bodyg16; At its other end, leaf 28 is formed mediallybetween opposite sides thereof with a hinge sleeve 34, this being bent lor rolled in an opposite directio'n Vout of the plane of the leaf 28, as compared to the sleeves 30. Sleeve 34 is disposed between sleeves 36 to receive a hinge p'n` 38,f the sleeves '36 being integrally formed Aon one end of an outer leaf 40. y y

Leaf 40 is of a width corresponding to that of leaves- 22, 28, and includes a body portion 4 1 which isof a length'corresponding to that of the leaves 22, 28. Y' -Integrally formed on the free end of the body portion' 41 is I a hook portion 42, which isdisposed at that side of the' plane of body po'rtion 41 opposite the side at which thesleeves 36 are disposed. The hook portion 42 extends through slightly less than degrees of a circle, and has a beveled free edge 43. Y

The axes of the pins 32, 38 are parallel, and it will be observed that when the device is folded, the several leaves 22, 28, 40 are in superposed relation, substantially in faceto-face contactwith one another as shown'in Figure'2. The leaves are thus folded flat upon the cap body 16, occupying an area no greater than the total area of the outer leaf 40. This permits the bottle to be packed in couven-4 tional cases or cartons. Whenever it is desired to remove the cap, lone merely swings the leaves 28, 40 upwardly, from the Figure 2, full line position'to the dotted line position thereof shown in the same figure of the drawing. VThis permits hook portion 42 to engage under the skirt 18 of the bottle cap, with the leaves 28, 40 being atacute angles to one another, .the

leaf 28 being at an obtuseV angle to the stationary leaf 22.'

4One need now merely exert a pressure radially `inwardly of the bottlecap, against the outer surface-of the leaffll) in themanner shown in Figure 3. This tends to roclt' leaf 40-and leaf 28 about the vaxis defined-by the hingepin 32, said axis being disposed inwardly a short distance from the periphery of the cap. In these circumstances, in eect leute-angular shape, the angularly related legs of which are defined by the leaves 28, 40 with one leg being hinged on the cap body at the end thereof remote from its connection to the other leg, said other leg being the leaf 40 and swinging with the` first leg 28 about the axis 32, with its hook portion 42 in engagement with the underside of the skirt. This causes the hook portion to travel, upwardly, outwardly of the fiange 1-8, in an, arcuateV path about the axis defined by the hinge pin 32.

As a result, the portion of the skirt18 that is engaged by the hook portion 42 is pried upwardly, outwardly olf the bead 12, as clearly seen from FigureS. This breaks the seal between the cap and the bottle, and causes the cap to be readily and easily removed. The device, as will be apparent, can be manufactured at low cost, since it requires the use of a very small amount of material. Further, the device, responsive merely to unfolding of the same, tends to move almost automatically to an operative position, that is, if one swings leaves 28, 40 upwardly from their full line position of Figure 2, when the leaf 28 reaches the dotted line position shown in this figure of the drawing, the leaf 40 tends to move downwardly therefrom, forming the acute angle previously described herein.

Further, so far as the crown cap itself is concerned, there is no modification or redesign thereof and as a result the crown cap can be manufactured by means of cap-making machinery already in use. Still further, the device constituting the present invention does not interfere with packing or capping the containers or. bottles to which the closure capsA are applied and the device, additionally, is safe and easy toy use.

It isy believed apparent that the inventionl is not necessarily confined to the specific use or uses thereof described above, since it may be utilized for any purpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the invention to be necessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated and described since such construction is only intended to be illustrative of the principles, itA being considered that the invention comprehends any minor change in construction that may be permitted within the scope of the appended clams.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination, with a bottle cap of the crown type including a fiat body and a depending, corrugated skirt engageable under the bead of a bottle neck, of a cap remover comprising first and second leavesy hingedly con nected to each other at one end thereof, one of said leaves having at its other end a hinge connection to the body of the cap and the other leaf having at its other end a hook portion extending transversely thereof in parallelism with the axes of the hinge connections, said leaves being swingable to a position about the axis of the hinge connection of said one leaf to the cap body, into an acuteangular relationship in which they extend upwardly, outwardly from the cap body with the hook portion engaged under said skirt, for prying of the skirt out of engagement with the bead responsive to a pressure exerted against the leaves tending to swing the same radially inwardly-of the cap body about the axis of the connection of said one leaf to the cap body.

2. The combination, with a bottle cap of'l the` crown type. including a fiat body and a depending, corrugated skirt engageable underV the bead of a bottle neck, of a cap. remover comprising first and second leaves hingedly connected to each other at one end thereof one of said leaves having at its other end a hnge connection to the body of the cap and the other leaf having at its other end a, hooi:Y portion extending transversely thereof in parallelism with the axes of the hinge connections, said leaves being swingable to a position aboutV the axis of the hinge connection of' said one leaf to the cap body, into an ncuteangular relationship in which they extend upwardly, outwardly from the cap body with the hoolc portion en- "gogetv under said skirt,` for prying of: the. skirt out of mamie engagement with the bead responsive to a pressure exerted against the leaves tending to swing the same radially inwardly of the cap body about the axis of the connection of said one leaf to the cap body; and a third leaf having a fixed connection to the cap body, said first leaf being hinged to the third leaf to provide the hinge connection of said first leaf to the cap body.

3. The combination, with a bottle cap of the crown type including a flat body and a depending, corrugated skirt engageable under the bead of a bottle neck, of a cap remover comprising first and second leaves hingedly connected to eachother at one end thereof one of said leaves having at ts other end a hinge connection to the body of the cap and the other leaf havingat its other end a hook portion extending transversely thereof in parallelism with the axes of the hinge connections, said leaves being swingable to a position about the axis of the hinge connection of said one leaf to the cap body, into an acute-angular relationship in which they extend upwardly, outwardly from the cap body with the hook portion engaged under said skirt, for prying of the skirt out of engagement with the` bead, responsive to a pressure exerted against the leaves tending to swing the same radially inwardly ofthe cap body about the axis of the connection of said one leaf to the cap body; and a third leaf having a fixed connection to the cap body, said first leaf being hinged to the third leaf to provide the hinge connection of said first leaf to the cap body, the several leaves being sub stantially coextensive in length and width.

4. The combination, with a bottle cap of the crown type including a fiat body and a depending, corrugated skirt engageable under the bead of a bottle neck, of a cap remover comprising first and second leaves hingedly connected to each other at one end thereof, one of said leaves having at its other end a hinge connection to the body of the cap and the other leaf having at its other end a hook portion extending transversely thereof in parallelism with the axes of the hinge connectons, said leaves being swingable to a position about thev axis of the hinge connection of said one leaf to the cap body, into an acute-angular relationship in which they extend upwardly, outwardly from the cap body with the hook portion engaged under said skirt, for prying of the skirt out of engagement with the bead responsive to a pressure exerted against the leaves tending to swing the same radially inwardly of the cap body about the axis of the connection of said one leaf' to the cap body; and a third leaf having a fixed connection to the cap body, said rstV leaf being hinged to the third leaf to provide the hinge connection of said first leaf to the cap body, the several leaves being substantially coextensive in length and width, said leaves, whenv not in use, being swingable to a position in which they are folded flat, one upon another, on said cap body.

5. The combination, with a bottle cap of the crown type including a flat body and a depending, corrugated skirt engageable under the bead of a bottle neck, of a cap remover comprising first and second leaves hingedly connected to each other at one end thereof, one of said leaves having at its other end a hinge connection to the body of the cap and the other leaf having at its other end a hook portion extending transversely thereof in parallelism with the axes of the hinge connections, said leaves being swingable to a position about the axis of the hinge connection of said one leaf to the cap body, into an acute-angular relationship in which. they extend upwardly, outwardly from the cap body with the hook portion engaged under said skirt, for prying ofthe skirt out of engagement with the bead responsive to a pressure exerted yagainst the leavesv tending to swing the same radially inwardly of the cap` body aboutthe axis of. the connection of said. one leaf to the cap, body;;and. a third leaf having a fixed connection to the capA body, said first leaf being,4

hinged to the third leaf to provide the hinge connection of said rst leaf to the cap body, the several leaves being substantially coextensive in length and width, said leaves, when not in use, being swingable to a position in which they are folded fiat, one upon another, on said cap body, said third leaf being in faceto-face contact with and exstantially centered upon the cap body.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Ament Feb. 26, 1929 

